AN ACT to amend and reenact §21A-6A-1 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to extended unemployment benefits;
adding additional circumstances giving rise to “state ‘on’
indicators” for purposes of extended unemployment compensation
benefits; and providing for certain high unemployment periods.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §21A-6A-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 6A. EXTENDED BENEFITS PROGRAM.

§21A-6A-1. Definitions.

As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires
otherwise:

(1) “Extended benefit period” means a period which:

(A) Begins with the third week after a week for which there is
a state “on” indicator; and

(B) Ends with either of the following weeks, whichever occurs
later:

(i) The third week after the first week for which there is a
state “off” indicator; or

(ii) The thirteenth consecutive week of such period. However,
for periods beginning in a “high unemployment period,” as
determined in accordance with subdivision (3), section five of this
article, paragraph (B)(ii) of this subdivision shall be applied by
substituting “twentieth” for “thirteenth.”

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subdivision,
no extended benefit period may begin by reason of a state “on”
indicator before the fourteenth week following the end of a prior
extended benefit period which was in effect with respect to this
state.

(2) After September 25, 1982, there is a “state ‘on’
indicator” for this state for a week if the commissioner
determines, in accordance with the regulations of the United States
Secretary of Labor, that for the period consisting of such week and
the immediately preceding twelve weeks, the rate of insured
unemployment, not seasonally adjusted, under this article:

(A) Equaled or exceeded one hundred twenty percent of the
average of such rates for the corresponding thirteen-week period
ending in each of the preceding two calendar years, and

(B) Equaled or exceeded five percent.

(C) An extended benefit period shall be made hereunder as if
subdivision (2) did not contain paragraph (A) thereof, but only if
the commissioner determines that the rate of insured unemployment,
not seasonally adjusted, equals or exceeds six percent.

(3) For weeks of unemployment beginning on or after February
1, 2009, and ending on or before December 5, 2009, or, if the
application of section 2005(a) of Title II of Division B of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-5,
123 Stat. 115 (2009)(“ARRA”) is extended by Act of Congress, ending
on or before a date to be determined by the commissioner not to
exceed the extended application of section 2005(a) of the ARRA,
there is a “state ‘on’ indicator” for this state for a week if the
commissioner determines, in accordance with regulations of the
United States Secretary of Labor, that:

(A) The average rate of total unemployment, seasonally
adjusted, for the period consisting of the most recent three months
for which data for all states are published before the close of
such week equals or exceeds six and one-half percent; and

(B) The average rate of total unemployment in the state for
the three-month period specified in paragraph (A) of this
subdivision equals or exceeds one hundred ten percent of such
average for either or both of the corresponding three-month periods
ending in the two preceding calendar years.

(C) For weeks of unemployment beginning after December 17,
2010, through weeks of unemployment ending on or before December
31, 2011, or the date established by section 502 of the Tax Relief,
Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of
2010, P.L. 111-312, as amended, there is a “state ‘on’ indicator”
for a week if the commissioner determines, in accordance with
regulations of the United States Secretary of Labor, that:

(i) The average rate of total unemployment, seasonally
adjusted, as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor,
for the period consisting of the most recent three-months for which
data for all states are published before the close of such week
equals or exceeds six and one-half percent; and

(ii) The average rate of total unemployment in the state,
seasonally adjusted, as determined by the United States Secretary
of Labor, for the three-month period referred to in subparagraph
(i) of this paragraph equals or exceeds one hundred ten percent of
such average for any or all of the corresponding three-month
periods ending in the three preceding calendar years.

(D) There is a “high unemployment period” as provided in
subsection three, section five, article six-a, chapter twenty-one-a
of this code if paragraph (A) or subparagraph (i), paragraph(C), or
both, were applied by substituting “eight percent” for “six and
one-half percent”.

(4) There is a “state ‘off’ indicator” for a week if, for the
period consisting of such week and the immediately preceding twelve
weeks, none of the options specified in either subdivision (2) or
subdivision (3) result in a “state ‘on’ indicator”.

(A) The average weekly number of individuals filing claims for
regular compensation in this state for weeks of unemployment with
respect to the most recent thirteen-consecutive-week period as
determined by the commissioner on the basis of his or her reports
to the United States Secretary of Labor; by

(B) The average monthly employment covered under this chapter
for the first four of the most recent six completed calendar
quarters ending before the end of such thirteen-week period.

(6) “Regular benefits” means benefits payable to an individual
under this chapter or under any other state law (including benefits
payable to federal civilian employees and to ex-servicemen pursuant
to 5 U.S.C., chapter 85) other than extended benefits.

(7) “Extended benefits” means benefits (including benefits
payable to federal civilian employees and to ex-servicemen pursuant
to 5 U.S.C., chapter 85) payable to an individual under the
provisions of this article for weeks of unemployment in his or her
eligibility period.

(8) “Eligibility period” of an individual means the period
consisting of the weeks in his or her benefit year which begin in
an extended benefit period and, if his or her benefit year ends
within such extended benefit period, any weeks thereafter which
begin in such period. Notwithstanding any provision of this code
to the contrary, an individual’s eligibility period shall include
any eligibility period provided in section 2005(b) of the ARRA.

(9) “Exhaustee” means an individual who, with respect to any
week of unemployment in his or her eligibility period:

(A) Has received, prior to such week, all of the regular
benefits which were available to him or her under this chapter or
any other state law (including dependents' allowances and benefits
payable to federal civilian employees and ex-servicemen under 5
U.S.C., chapter 85) in his or her current benefit year that
includes such week: Provided, That for the purposes of this
subdivision, an individual is deemed to have received all of the
regular benefits which were available to him or her although: (i)
As a result of a pending appeal with respect to wages or employment
which were not considered in the original monetary determination in
his or her benefit year, he or she may subsequently be determined
to be entitled to added regular benefits; or (ii) he or she may be
entitled to regular benefits with respect to future weeks of
unemployment but such benefits are not payable with respect to such
week of unemployment by reason of the provisions of section one-a,
article six of this chapter; or

(B) His or her benefit year having expired prior to such week
has no, or insufficient, wages or employment on the basis of which
he or she could establish a new benefit year which would include
such week; and

(C) Has no right to unemployment benefits or allowances, as
the case may be, under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, 45
U.S.C., §361, et seq., the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, 19 U.S.C.,
§1801, et seq., the Automotive Products Trade Act of 1965, 19
U.S.C., §2001, et seq., and such other federal laws as are
specified in regulations issued by the United States Secretary of
Labor and has not received and is not seeking unemployment benefits
under the unemployment compensation law of the Virgin Islands or of
Canada. If he or she is seeking such benefits and the appropriate
agency finally determines that he or she is not entitled to
benefits under law, then he or she is considered an exhaustee.

(10) “State law” means the unemployment insurance law of any
state, approved by the United States Secretary of Labor under 26
U.S.C., §3304.

(11) No individual is entitled to extended benefits during a
period of unemployment if he or she was disqualified under the
provisions of subdivision (1), (2) or (3) of section three, article
six of this chapter, which disqualification is not terminated until
the individual has returned to covered employment and has been
employed in covered employment for at least thirty working days.

(12)(A) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section,
an individual is ineligible for payment of extended benefits for
any week of unemployment in his or her eligibility period if the
commissioner finds that during such period:

(i) He or she failed to accept an offer of suitable work or
failed to apply for suitable work, as defined under subdivision
(12)(C) of this section, to which he or she was referred by the
commissioner; or

(ii) He or she failed to actively engage in seeking work as
prescribed under subdivision (12)(E) of this section.

(B) An individual who has been found ineligible for extended
benefits by reason of the provisions in subdivision (12)(A) of this
section is also denied benefits beginning with the first day of the
week following the week in which such failure occurred and until he
or she has been employed in each of four subsequent weeks, whether
or not consecutive, and has earned remuneration equal to not less
than four times the extended weekly benefit amount;

(C) For purposes of this subdivision, the term “suitable work”
means, with respect to any individual, any work which is within
such individual's capabilities so long as the gross average weekly
remuneration payable for the work must exceed the sum of:

(i) The individual's average weekly benefit amount as
determined under subdivision (12)(D) of this section, plus;

(ii) The amount, if any, of supplemental unemployment benefits
as defined in 26 U.S.C., §501(c)(17)(D)) payable to such individual
for such week; and further,

(iii) Pays wages equal to the higher of:

(I) The minimum wages provided by 29 U.S.C., §206(a)(1),
without regard to any exemption; or

(II) The state or local minimum wage;

(iv) Provided, That no individual is denied extended benefits
for failure to accept an offer or referral to a job which meets the
definition of suitability as described above if:

(I) The position was not offered to the individual in writing
and was not listed with the employment service; or

(II) Such failure could not result in a denial of benefits
under the definition of suitable work for regular benefit claimants
in section five, article six of this chapter, to the extent that
the criteria of suitability in that section are not inconsistent
with the provisions of this subdivision; or

(III) The individual furnishes satisfactory evidence to the
commissioner that his or her prospects for obtaining work in his or
her customary occupation within a reasonably short period are good.
If such evidence is deemed satisfactory for this purpose, the
determination of whether any work is suitable with respect to such
individual is made in accordance with the definition of suitable
work in section five, article six of this chapter, without regard
to the definition specified in this subdivision.

(D) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the
contrary, no work is suitable work for an individual which does not
accord with the labor standard provisions required by 26 U.S.C.,
§3304(a)(5) and set forth herein under subdivision (12)(C)(iii)(I)
of this section.

(E) For the purposes of subdivision (12)(A)(ii) of this
section, an individual is treated as actively engaged in seeking
work during any week if:

(i) The individual has engaged in a systematic and sustained
effort to obtain work during such week; and

(ii) The individual furnishes tangible evidence that he or she
has engaged in such effort during such week.

(F) The employment service shall refer any claimant entitled
to extended benefits under this article to any suitable work which
meets the criteria prescribed in subdivision (12)(C) of this
section.

(G) An individual is not eligible to receive extended benefits
with respect to any week of unemployment in his or her eligibility
period if the individual has been disqualified for regular benefits
under this chapter because he or she voluntarily left work, was
discharged for misconduct or refused an offer of suitable work
unless the disqualification imposed for such reasons has been
terminated in accordance with specific conditions established under
this subdivision requiring the individual to perform service for
remuneration subsequent to the date of such disqualification.

(13) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, if
the benefit year of any individual ends within an extended benefit
period, the remaining balance of extended benefits that such
individual would, but for this section, be entitled to receive in
that extended benefit period with respect to weeks of unemployment
beginning after the end of the benefit year, are reduced, but not
below zero, by the product of the number of weeks for which the
individual received any amounts as trade readjustment allowances
within that benefit year, multiplied by the individual's weekly
benefit amount for extended benefits.

(14) An unemployed individual is eligible to receive benefits
with respect to any week only if it has been found that he or she
has been paid wages by an employer who was subject to the
provisions of this chapter during the base period of his or her
current benefit year in an amount at least equal to forty times his
or her benefit rate for total unemployment.

(15) The provisions of subdivisions (11) and (12) of this
section shall not apply at any time if temporarily or permanently
suspended by federal law. If these provisions are suspended by
federal law, the provisions of state law which apply to claims for
and the payment of regular benefits apply to claims for and the
payment of extended benefits.